Due to the inherent complexity of the material, students in science
courses often become confused (bewildered) to the point that they
question their ability to "do science" and avoid further study. In
this paper, a model will be presented asserting that bewilderment is
a natural, though transitory, state that all students experience. In
the model, the learning process is defined as having five phases: (1)
Pre-Exposure; (2) Initial Exposure; (3) Crystallization; (4)
Facility; and (5) Mastery. A student makes the transition from each
phase to the next through additional study effort. Bewilderment is
low during the first phase because the student has little conception
of what he/she does not know. During the initial exposure to the
material (phase 2), the student often experiences a rapid increase in
the sense of bewilderment, especially if the material is complex and
involves considerable new terminology or a novel conceptual approach.
Students often become highly frustrated at this point. After
additional study, the student enters the Crystallization phase, where
he/she begins to synthesize information and different concepts start
to fit together in the student's mind. Bewilderment decreases during
the Crystallization phase, occasionally to the point that the student
has a false sense of security with his/her grasp of the material.
Next, the student passes into the Facility phase, in which the
student can express the concepts with ease. Ultimately, the student
enters into the Mastery phase in which he/she seriously considers the
current research in the discipline and alternative approaches to
explaining the concepts. Bewilderment is very low at this last level.
Keeping this model in mind, students can work through their sense of
bewilderment, and successfully learn the material.